Valley United PC: 4 miles, 3 churches, 2 states, 1 congregation
Four miles. That’s all that separated three Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations. But
within that four miles there were not only state boundaries that had to be crossed but also synod
and presbytery lines. That, however, didn’t keep this trio of small churches from coming together
to form one worshiping body that is unifying to help tackle the issues within the community.
Valley United Presbyterian Church consists of congregations from Athens and Sayre in
Pennsylvania and Waverly in New York. Athens and Waverly are roughly four miles apart, with
the Sayre building almost directly in the middle of the two. Prior to the merger, Athens and
Waverly averaged around 40 worshipers per Sunday while Sayre was somewhere in the low 20s.
Because of their low attendance numbers, Athens and Waverly decided to combine and alternate
worship services during the summer months in 2012. A year later, Sayre joined in the rotation,
and a collaboration was born.
These combined efforts led to talks about a unified congregation,
and with Sayre and Waverly both between pastors and the Athens preacher nearing retirement,
there was no better time to explore the three churches coming together to form one. A “New
Beginnings” initiative by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) helped in the process, and on Jan. 1,
2014, Valley United PC was officially a congregation.
“They were not strong enough in terms of people power and finances to sustain themselves,
which was the whole reason why they started the conversation, after going through ‘New
Beginnings,’ of the merger,” said the Rev. Sharan Knoell.
Now that they are one, the church is looking to make a difference in its community.
“This is considered an impoverished area,” Rev. Knoell said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to
be done in this community — I don’t just mean cleaning up parks. There’s a lot of people in this
community that need cared for, and I think once we get on our feet that that’s really what we’re
being called to do. That tug on them to care for the community is what’s coming from God.”
Valley United PC is currently regarded as a church that resides in Lackawanna Presbytery within
the Synod of the Trinity. However, Waverly sits in the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley in the
Synod of the Northeast. The cooperation of the presbyteries is one thing that has not caused
added strain to the congregation that’s in transition.
“Both presbyteries have said, ‘You know what, we’re totally in favor of this,’” Rev. Knoell said.
“That was probably the easiest part of the process, at least from my point of view. I have been
able to make relationships in both (presbyteries).”
Sayre sold its building six months after the merger became
official, leaving just the buildings in Athens and Waverly to exist. Services have alternated
monthly between the two worship spaces ever since. Initially, some people only went to a service
when it was in their home church.
“I think at first certain people would only come when worship was at one church or another
church,” Rev. Knoell said. “When they first started they were flipping every week between the
three buildings and that wore on people very quickly.
“We have some people who are hard and fast with one building or the other,” Rev. Knoell
continued. “The Athens building is not handicap accessible and the Waverly building is not fully
handicap accessible either, but it’s easier for people with walkers and wheelchairs to get in and
out of the sanctuary, so we do have a good handful of people who only come when worship is at
Waverly simply because they can’t get in the Athens building.”
Being able to overcome that attachment to their individual church is something the congregation
has successfully been able to do.
“When I first started here, I noticed that people were pretty much caring for their own,” Rev.
Knoell said. “So if a Waverly person was sick, the Waverly people took care of that person. If an
Athens person was in the hospital, it was only the deacons who were from Athens who went to
visit them. It was a little bit of still holding on to tradition. But now there is equal representation
from all three churches on every committee. They were very intentional about having equal
representation in everything. … People would introduce themselves and say, ‘Hi, I’m John
Smith. I’m from Waverly.’ And I’d think, ‘No, you’re from Valley United.’ It was a little bit of
changing the language. So instead of my church and your church, it’s the Athens location and the
Waverly location. It’s slow but it’s happening.
“When I walked in here I said this is essentially four congregations. We’ve got the three legacy
ones and then all of them combined as a fourth congregation. So it was difficult to try and figure
out who knows what hymn, and who’s from what sort of worship tradition and what expectations
do you have and realizing that you’re leading a session or leading a committee and people don’t
even know each other.”
The congregation has worked hard to put those individualized and regional feelings behind it.
“I preached some very intentional sermons about how you have
to be the ones to walk up and introduce yourself,” Rev. Knoell said. “It’s no longer acceptable to
say, ‘Oh, I don’t know him’ or ‘Oh, he’s not from Athens.’ No, you need to walk up and
introduce yourself. I think in that respect of the congregation getting to know each other and
become more united I think we’ve done pretty well on that in the past year.”
Integrating three different worship styles into one service that everyone can feel a part of has
been a challenge for Rev. Knoell as well. While Athens and Sayre were still worshiping in a
more traditional sense, Waverly had started a contemporary-type style of service that is currently
trying to be adopted by Valley United these days.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to move toward more contemporary worship without leaving
the traditional stuff behind,” explained Rev. Knoell, who is planning a Legacy Sunday this
winter to help honor the three original congregations. “There’s a really strong sense of tradition
here, and I wanted to make sure that just because we’re something new here doesn’t mean we’ve
forgotten what has come before.”
Rev. Knoell, who joined Valley United six months after the merger, is a member of the
Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley as well. The fact that she is not from any of the three “legacy”
congregations has been a positive thing, because “while they were meeting each other, they were
also getting to know me.”
The church, which houses its offices in the Athens building, has formed a Vision Committee to
determine, among other things, which presbytery is right for it and what direction it wants to go
in terms of where its church building will be.
“An engineer is drawing up plans to turn both the Athens building and the Waverly building into
this church that we want it to be,” Rev. Knoell said. “Both facilities have an equal number of
pros and an equal number of cons, which is what’s making the decision harder. We’re also
looking at the option of building a whole new church.”
The hope is that a decision is reached this fall so that by the spring of 2016 renovation of one of
the buildings or construction of an entirely new one can begin. And while the location of the
church is not yet set in stone, that fact that the congregation is now acting as one body gives it a
solid foundation with which to build on.
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A Calendar of Prayer for our Presbytery
August
2 - Deb Fleming, Commissioned Lay Pastors
9 - Janet Adair Hansen, Teaching Elder
16 - Michael Jansen, Teaching Elder
23 - David Robinson, Teaching Elder
30 - Janice Devine, Teaching Elder
Prayer Joys and Concerns
Dear Friends, there are many in our hearts and in our prayers, may we hold in prayer colleagues
and their families:
Condolences
It is with great sadness to tell you that Don Law, went home to the Lord, following a brief stay in
Wilson Hospital. A memorial service for Don on Saturday, September 12 at 11 a.m. calling
hours will be held at 10 a.m. Binghamton United Church.
Prayers of healing
Please contact Committee on Ministry co-chairs, Mark Montfort and Pat Raube if you
have a pastoral care concern or need.
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Staff News
Christine Rogalski will be out of the office on August 27th, 2015.
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Other News
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Board Connections: August 2015
The newest edition of Board Connections, the Board of Pensions newsletter, is now available.
Board Connections highlights recent Board news, important updates, and other information and
replaces many of the emails you previously received from the Board. Articles this month include
the following:
Clergy Effective Salaries Reports Available
The Board has tabulated effective salary data for 2015 to assist decision-makers with reviewing
clergy compensation. Two reports are available, one organized by congregation size and years of
service and the other by synod.
Get Your Annual Savings Checkup Today
Have your retirement investment choices kept pace with your life? Find out at Fidelity's new
Let's get down to basics site.
The Assistance Program Lends a Hand to New College Freshmen
A nonrecurring, one-time grant is available to qualifying members of the Benefits Plan based on
financial need, plan participation, and enrollment of a dependent child as a full-time freshman in
an accredited college or university.
Read the August Board Connections!
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Affordable and Accessible
Online Continuing Education for Pastors and CREs
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
There is still time to register for our Fall classes! Looking for a way to jump start your ministry?
These five-week classes are designed to inspire, engage and sustain your work in the church.
Shop Talk for Preachers•
Dr. Robert Hoch, Associate Professor of Homiletics and Worship
September 14 – October 18
Students of preaching, whether veterans in the pulpit or just starting out, will find this class
inspiring and instructive. Participants will read Cornelius Planting's Reading for Preaching, a
work focused on understanding the relationship between literature, theology, and the preaching
ministry. While we're at it, we'll dive into and talk about the theological and biblical themes that
emerge in Wendell Berry's modern classic, Jayber Crow. Finally, the instructor will share
practical strategies for developing what he calls "our inner homiletic an" -- a set of skills that will
assist participants as they develop long term practices for vocational growth. This is a great
opportunity to enhance your preaching by interacting with other pastors and engaging in
conversation with Dr. Hoch.
Exploring Vitality in Rural Congregations
Dr. Richard Shaffer, Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Ministry
October 19 – November 22
This course will explore the practices and programs that bring vitality and vision to rural
congregations and their ministries. We will examine the practices of successful church leaders,
share ideas about programs that have been successful, and suggest resources that may work in
your ministry setting. This will be a five-week seminar that encourages input from ministry
leaders and puts us face to face with others who have brought new life to the churches they
serve. We will use our time together to share those ideas and help one another develop ministries
that make a difference.
Register today! The cost for each class is only $150.
If this is your first online class with UDTS you will also need to take our Orientation to Online
Learning, for a one-time fee of only $75.
To register contact Bridgett Boone: 563.589.3691 | EMail: BBoone@dbq.edu
Richard J. Shaffer Jr.
Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Ministry
Director of Distance Education
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
(563) 589-3691
rshaffer@dbq.edu
ruralpastors.org
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BRAHMS & FRIENDS
THE 23RD ANNIVERSARY OF
SUMMERMUSIC 2015
featuring
The MILLENNIUM STRINGS
presented by
MAGIC MOUNTAIN MUSIC FARM OF MORRIS, NY
in its Twenty-Third Anniversary Collaboration with
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN GILBERTSVILLE
WHERE:
The First Presbyterian Church
(Rte. 51) Gilbertsville, NY
WHEN:
Friday, September 4th, at 7:30 PM
&
Saturday, September 5th, at 7:30 PM
The MILLENNIUM STRINGS will feature works by
J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Franck, Hindemith, Prokofiev & Schubert
For more information please CLICK HERE.
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A request from the church secretary in Utica Presbytery to Susquehanna Valley
Do you have any churches that have a large pulpit lectern and/or communion table they no
longer need? My aunt Ruth Lazarek and Louann Lazarek go to Immanuel and I visit them easily,
that is why I thought of looking in the Binghamton area. I am the church secretary at Whitesboro
Presbyterian near Utica. The congregation that I attend is Christ Church in the Reformed
Presbyterian denomination. We are fixing up a 1970's Baptist building given to us and the
biggest trouble has been finding a functional, large, attractive pulpit. We were sure with so many
churches closing there would be some available but so far nothing! So I was wondering if you
could send in your email notices to congregations that if a church does have a pulpit/table
looking for a good home, they could send an email with photo and dimensions to me.
wborosecretary@verizon.net is my PC(USA) church office email.
Of course if Immanuel ever closes, they have the most gorgeous pulpit unit.
Thank you,
Sue Lorraine
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New York State Council of Churches is one of the sponsors for this annual retreat planned for
October 2015.
Register Now for Faith for a Fair NY's 2015 Retreat - Oct. 11-13
You are invited to join us for an inspiring three days of learning and taking action with faith
leaders from across New York State.
This year's Faith for a Fair NY retreat will explore how the shift to a low-wage, high-inequality
economy is impacting communities across the state and what people of faith can do about it.
We'll look at successful movements in New York and across the country - including the Fight for
15 and Moral Mondays - and look ahead to what we can expect in New York in the coming year.
Throughout, we'll pay particular attention to the role of faith communities in the struggle for
justice here in New York. Registration is open now! The retreat will be held at the Dominican
Retreat Center in Niskayuna, just outside Albany, and will run from 5 pm Sunday, Oct. 11
through 12:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The Faith for a Fair NY retreat is sponsored by the Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS, NYS
Council of Churches, Reform Jewish Voice of NY, the NYS Episcopal Policy Network and NYS
Interfaith Impact.
We hope to see you in October!
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Come to the Table is approaching us in October
As we live into the New Way Forward we value the gifts of community and diversity within our
Synod. The Synod still gathers annually but we rotate now between a business meeting one year
and a more informal gathering the next. This year we gather in worship, conversation and
networking. Open to all Presbyterians in the Synod of the Northeast.
Join us for our inaugural fellowship gathering to support each other, share best practices, and
renew ourselves for the road ahead. Seeking Christ together as we
walk alongside each other and build a path for the future.
For more information and to register: http://bit.do/table2015
#CometotheTable2015
Questions: call Samantha Demko at 315.446.5990
or email her at samantha.demko@synodne.org
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